Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $977 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,488 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,000 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Targu Frumos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$8.60 RON 38.65

-48.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$43.33 RON 195

-19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$8.41 RON 37.76

6.54%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.38 RON 10.71

26.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.56 RON 7.00

-50.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.24 RON 5.57

-62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.00 RON 8.98

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.40 RON 10.79

56.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.40 RON 6.29

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.17 RON 5.25

21.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.49 RON 6.67

4.03%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.07 RON 13.78

-30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.31 RON 37.31

137.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.17 RON 27.73

-43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$10.67 RON 47.92

3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.03 RON 4.64

182.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.38 RON 6.21

20.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.45 RON 6.51

56.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.96 RON 8.82

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.79 RON 3.53

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.53 RON 2.38

166.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.86 RON 3.85

26.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.78 RON 3.52

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$6.30 RON 28.32

-28.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$7.58 RON 34.05

146.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.07 RON 4.80

71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.62 RON 7.29

82.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.74 RON 3.33

205.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$24.57 RON 110

-6.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.85 RON 3.83

257.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.90 RON 4.05

21.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$7.79 RON 35.01

-50.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.84 RON 8.26

-19.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$29.1K RON 130.6K

-5.61%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$26.8K RON 120.4K

2.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 ฿3,340

$106 RON 474

-3.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.28 ฿370

$9.75 RON 43.79

15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$8.75 RON 39.33

102.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$40.65 RON 183

33.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$19.77 RON 88.8

-44.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$6.70 RON 30.11

17.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$577 ฿18.9K

$449 RON 2,017

28.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$7,149 RON 32.1K

62.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$55.9 RON 251

16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$31.24 RON 140

-7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$80.7 RON 362

22.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$80.8 RON 363

11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$418 RON 1,877

80.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$297 RON 1,333

64.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$641 RON 2,879

225.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$466 RON 2,093

159.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,003 RON 8,996

79.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,430 RON 6,425

82.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.47

-25.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $418 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Targu Frumos. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $201, with Targu Frumos cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,466 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $418 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $449 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Targu Frumos versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Targu Frumos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.